Cocina Puerto Rico: Recipes from My Abuela’s Kitchen to Yours

Cocina Puerto Rico transports you to Borinquen--the Island of Enchantment--otherwise known as Puerto Rico. Or, to chef Mia Castro, home. 

Mia spent her early career working under prestigious chefs such as José Andrés, Thomas Keller, and Wolfgang Puck, and later cooked for exclusive clients worldwide as a private chef. In 2020, unexpectedly grounded in New York City, she found herself craving the foods of her native Puerto Rico. Over daily FaceTime calls (that sometimes stretched for hours) with her beloved Abuela Sara in San Juan, Mia collected the time-honored recipes that represent her family’s homeland. Now, applying her professional knowledge, she has expertly adapted these dishes for you to re-create in any American home kitchen.

Cocina Puerto Rico covers everything from salads, fritters, and soups to seafood, meat, and rice dishes to sweets, including re-creations of favorites from the island’s traditional panaderías (bakeries). Classics like Abuela’s Sancocho (Root Veggie Stew with Plantain Dumplings), Serenata de Bacalao (Saltfish Salad), Arroz con Jueyes (Stewed Crab Rice), and Tembleque (Creamy Coconut Pudding) bring the signature flavors of Puerto Rican cooking into your home, while dishes like Tropical Caprese Salad and Caribbean Passion Pie introduce some of Mia’s modern tropical riffs.

Featuring photography shot at Abuela’s house in San Juan, iconic landmarks throughout Puerto Rico, and a design inspired by the sun-washed alleyways of Old San Juan, this book is a true trip to the Island of Enchantment. Whether you want to explore a new destination, savor a unique cuisine, or immerse yourself in vibrant culture and rich history--Cocina Puerto Rico is your way in. 

San Juan native Mia Castro is a professional chef and recipe writer. She has competed on Chopped, Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen, and most recently, Beat Bobby Flay, on which she did beat Bobby Flay. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, she has also apprenticed in Las Vegas for Thomas Keller, Wolfgang Puck, and José Andrés. Mia lives in New York and work as a full-time social media content developer, recipe writer, and TV personality.